Wireless communication devices transmit and receive information wirelessly via a wireless access node to communicate over a communication network. Typically, the wireless access node is part of a radio access network (RAN) which provides the wireless communication devices with access to further communication networks, systems, and devices. The wireless communication devices typically utilize “forward link” communication channels to receive voice and/or data transmitted from the wireless access node, and “reverse link” communication channels to transmit information up to the node. In fourth generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) communication systems, a wireless communication device is referred to as user equipment (UE), while a wireless access node is typically called an enhanced node B (eNodeB).
In response to increased demand for high-speed wireless communication services, wireless communication service providers may deploy heterogeneous networks to improve system capacity and enhance network coverage. A heterogeneous network contains wireless access nodes that have different characteristics, such as transmission power and radio frequency (RF) coverage areas. For example, a wireless coverage area provided by a macrocell base station may be supplemented by many smaller, low-power nodes, such as femtocells, picocell base stations, and relay nodes. However, other advanced communication features, such as carrier aggregation, beamforming, and Voice over LTE (VoLTE), may have varying degrees of support among the different base stations in a heterogeneous network.
Overview
A method of operating a source macro base station to perform a macro handover of a wireless communication device is disclosed. The method comprises exchanging user data with the wireless communication device using an enhanced Radio Frequency (RF) service and receiving RF measurement data from the wireless communication device. The method further comprises processing the RF measurement data using a hysteresis parameter to detect a pico handover event to a target pico base station, and in response, determining if the target pico base station supports the enhanced RF service, and if the target pico base station does not support the enhanced RF service, then modifying the hysteresis parameter to inhibit a pico handover to the target pico base station. The method further comprises processing the RF measurement data to detect a macro handover event to a target macro base station, and in response, determining if the target macro base station supports the enhanced RF service, and if the target macro base station supports the enhanced RF service, then modifying the hysteresis parameter to drive the macro handover to the target macro base station.
A source macro base station to perform a macro handover of a wireless communication device comprises a wireless communication transceiver and a processing system. The wireless communication transceiver is configured to exchange user data with the wireless communication device using an enhanced Radio Frequency (RF) service and receive RF measurement data from the wireless communication device. The processing system is configured to process the RF measurement data using a hysteresis parameter to detect a pico handover event to a target pico base station, and in response, determine if the target pico base station supports the enhanced RF service, and if the target pico base station does not support the enhanced RF service, then modify the hysteresis parameter to inhibit a pico handover to the target pico base station. The processing system is further configured to process the RF measurement data to detect a macro handover event to a target macro base station, and in response, determine if the target macro base station supports the enhanced RF service, and if the target macro base station supports the enhanced RF service, then modify the hysteresis parameter to drive the macro handover to the target macro base station.
A computer apparatus to operate a source macro base station to perform a macro handover of a wireless communication device comprises software instructions and at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the software instructions. The software instructions are configured, when executed by the source macro base station, to direct the source macro base station to exchange user data with the wireless communication device using an enhanced Radio Frequency (RF) service and receive RF measurement data from the wireless communication device. The software instructions are further configured to direct the source macro base station to process the RF measurement data using a hysteresis parameter to detect a pico handover event to a target pico base station, and in response, determine if the target pico base station supports the enhanced RF service, and if the target pico base station does not support the enhanced RF service, then modify the hysteresis parameter to inhibit a pico handover to the target pico base station. The software instructions are further configured to direct the source macro base station to process the RF measurement data to detect a macro handover event to a target macro base station, and in response, determine if the target macro base station supports the enhanced RF service, and if the target macro base station supports the enhanced RF service, then modify the hysteresis parameter to drive the macro handover to the target macro base station.